2010: Blue Water Resort and Casino 300

[Ron Hill]

Our new shop is about three blocks from Wilke's Marine. Jim and I have a lot in common. We both have strong opinions. We both are BULL HEADED. Neither of us stay mad.

We have argued about the Blue Water Resort and Casino Rules for 4 years of five events. Jim has written and article for Performance Boats Magazine covering the 2009 event.

His opinions and mine are basically close. I'll admit, I was against making the course longer, as I had basically supplied the patrol boats for the first four events, and I'd used up my friends. BUT everyone that ran the race said the wide turn was better, though it was rough as hell going past the old corner.


Seems to me, when the Parker Enduro was 9 Hours, the river was rough as hell all day. Truth is, 48 boats running most of the day, will make the water rough.

For 2010, I'm suggesting several things:

1.. Wilkes has convinced me to start the race all at one time. The boats will be lined up by class. Fastest boat first.

2. Handicaps are good, but each class will take their handicap at their pit stop? How are pit stops handles? Well, go to 15 minute stops because of traffic flow and the "RACERS" will figure out when to stop.

3. My suggesation is to put Randy Davis' ROCKET in Division VII and boat like his.

4. Division V, should be BOAT BOAT V BOTTOMS ONLY. Any BRAVO/IMCO sterndrive will be in Division VI.

5. Scoring: Molly Ballou figured it out, with the help of Joyce Soares. You line the scores up, just like racers or trumpets. First Chair, is first place boat, second chair is second place boat. One clock that all scorers see, collect the score sheets every five laps, no calculators in the scoring area.

With a few changes, The Blue Water Resort and Casino 300 can be the biggest boat race in America. Ross and RPM Enterprises did a great job this year, but the real workers, who made this an "EVENT" were the owners, drivers and teams.

ADD:

When I was a kid, we were up in Colorado, and the raod was really windy. There was a sign on the side of the mountain that said, "Speed Limit 100... Ford's do you best...'

For the Outboards that said the water was rough....I'd say this, "Outboards, do you best."

LAST ADD:

MY MONEY IS ON WISKERS IN 2010!!!

LAST, LAST ADD:

2010 we will have a Calcutta for the Enduro, even if I HAVE TO RUN IT OUT OF BMB STORAGE.....This race needs a Calcutta...A Calcutta for each Class and then and Overall Calcutta......

[racer55]

Problem with starting all at the same time and adjusting at the pit stop is it allows the faster guys more time to make repairs if needed. I feel the way things are now is good with some adjustment in start times and which class certain boats fall into.

[Ron Hill]

Say a Division III boat took there HALF OF THEIR 15 Minute handicap at the first pit stop....Could they change a powerhead in 17.5 minutes....

Good point!

As someone pointed out too, one start and then what? With seven Divisions you see seven starts!

Off topic: Fred Bowden had open heart surgery Christmas Eve, he is home and Doing well. Needs to stay in bed for four weeks! (TALKED TO HIM YESTERDAY!).

[capnzee]

Why would anyone want to screw with a good thing? The Parker 300 with stagger'd starts has been a huge success. It has done what every race in APBA has wanted to do in it's long history, that is; increase in numbers every year! The Parker 300 is currently on the threshold of being one of the best races in the U.S. and after last year's successful race, the Parker 300 for next year is promising to be even better. There is no question that it can use some "tweaking" but we knew and planned for that from the start. We have given some classes a "break" to keep them in the running and that has been successful! These classes are now standing on their own and running in the proverbial "top ten". It is now time to look back at the initial handicaps set for the first of the Parker 300's. I think you will find them very close to the speeds we saw last year. There is an age old saying, "don't try to fix what ain't broke! Another old saying is "KISS or keep it simple stupid" Varying pit times would be an officiating nightmare. As far as the scoring situation is concerned, I have been promoting the concept of "musical chairs" for 3 years now, only to be turned off by the race committee. I believe that the successful "musical chairs" set up by Molly B. years ago is simply too complicated for our present scorers to perceive. If it isn't, then lets make the change for next year! Rod

[Ron Hill]

Why would anyone want to screw with a good thing? The Parker 300 with stagger'd starts has been a huge success. It has done what every race in APBA has wanted to do in it's long history, that is; increase in numbers every year! The Parker 300 is currently on the threshold of being one of the best races in the U.S. and after last year's successful race, the Parker 300 for next year is promising to be even better. There is no question that it can use some "tweaking" but we knew and planned for that from the start. We have given some classes a "break" to keep them in the running and that has been successful! These classes are now standing on their own and running in the proverbial "top ten". It is now time to look back at the initial handicaps set for the first of the Parker 300's. I think you will find them very close to the speeds we saw last year. There is an age old saying, "don't try to fix what ain't broke! Another old saying is "KISS or keep it simple stupid" Varying pit times would be an officiating nightmare. As far as the scoring situation is concerned, I have been promoting the concept of "musical chairs" for 3 years now, only to be turned off by the race committee. I believe that the successful "musical chairs" set up by Molly B. years ago is simply too complicated for our present scorers to perceive. If it isn't, then lets make the change for next year! Rod


Let's See;

Molly would that the scorer with the most laps sit in number one chair. The boat with the second most laps sits in number two chair. She had each scorer write the lap times on a paper (Times came from ONE CLOCK that could be seen by all scorers and spectators), and the papers were turned in every five laps. She didn't allow calculators in the scoring area...The announcer could see each scorer and announce the positions, not just the top two boats that the announce thought were leading...

Yea, Rod, you are probably right, too complicated. We should have Liberals scoring this race, then everyone would win! Or, just no have scorers and take everyone's word for how many laps they made!

You and I started to organize the scores and (The OFFICIALS) kicked us out of the area.

Don't be too sure about APBA wanting growth....they seem pretty happy with the way things are going. Why change, they have done things this way for over a hundred years!